2012 Chess Olympiad countdown (2 days left, first photos)

Aug 25, 2012

The national flags at the paying hall

Hello everyone and welcome to the traditional countdown to the Chess Olympiad on Chessdom.com! Today we move from minute to minute reports, to reporting directly from the scene for you. This is the first photo report, with pictures from Istanbul, the playing hall, and the atmosphere 2 days before the start of the Olympiad.

The playing hall of the 2012 Chess Olympiad is ready. During the Chessdom visit today, the sound system was getting a final check and the banners and posters were being installed on the walls.

The games will take place in a spacious hall with comfortable space between tables and a spectators zone. Flags of all the 162 participating countries (Olympiad record, see more here) are dominating the ceiling landscape. There is a scoreboard next to each table, and plasma screens for the audience.

Right outside the playing hall is a foyer with coffee bar for everyone that has inside and outside part.